Dry jobs waiting for the weather to improve in my small Devon wood

Maggie bought a lovely window bird feeder which is attached by suction cups to the window I look out of as I type. It's positioned at eye level and the visiting birds come and go, not pausing very long and just 2 feet away. Just beyond, the tall hazel and alder trees by the roadside allow glimpses of the steep grassy field rising high up the other side of the river valley where a hedge and more trees are silloutted against the sky. Today, inevitably, the sky is grey. Later in the day the hoots of tawny owls will sound from there prompting a response from our woods behind me.

In the time it took to compose the last paragraph coal tits, willow tits, blue tits, the robin and male and female chaffinches have been to the window feeder. The blue tit usually stays the longest, being happy to pick out a peanut and dine in. It will hold the nut between its feet and peck at the flesh leaving the husk to blow away in the wind. 

I've never seen so many chaffinches before. Naturally a ground feeder it flaps and clings uncomfortably to get food from the feeders hanging from the tress out the front. At first it struggled with the window feeder but seems to have mastered the technique and now we have many female and the magnificent males at the window. They will also dine in but are quick, nervous eaters preferring take-aways.

The coal tit has take-aways as does the willow tit. These have a quick rummage, pick what takes their fancy and speed off to the nearest branch or to the trees across the road to eat in safety.

As it's been so wet, I've been using my forced absence from work to do some of the 'dry' jobs that can be completed with current reduced levels of sight. Appropriate tasks do not involve the chainsaw and minimum use of other machinery. If I take my time and measure not twice, but thrice, or even more, and limit myself to the 'country style' things don't turn out too bad.

A good job was completing the rustic gate to replace the existing, ill-fitting and rotting gate from the garden to the wood. It's deliberately wonky and roughly finished to emphasise the use of natural materials and hand working - and doesn't need perfect vision! Made of coppiced hazel from the wood, it turned out ok and simply involved the use of a bow saw, bit and brace, home made mallet and chisel, draw knife and some dowels. I may replace the very wonky vertical bar and add another horizontal one in the centre at some point.

Wonky hazel gate to the wood.

Other dry jobs involve making some seats that will be placed at key resting points in the wood: perhaps where the view is worth pausing to contemplate or where the setting is particularly peaceful. These will all be made from my own wood and built using simple hand tools. I cut my teeth on a 3 legged stool. The seat was made from a round off the large fallen beech tree and the legs from coppiced hazel.

Using the draw knife and shave horse to fashion the legs gives enormous pleasure. As the blade slices along the length of the hazel peeling long lengths of bark and wood it makes a satisfying swish sound. Then as I release the grip of the shave horse and turn the hazel rod for more of the same treatment there's a hard knock as the seasoned timber of the shave horse slams down onto the greenwood of the hazel. Firmly in place, the swish of the draw knife sounds again followed by another knock, then swish and knock until the hazel is removed and checked for size. These words really don't do it justice. Maybe I'll make a little video.
I've also made a simple bench seat from a large split ash trunk using the same technique. A bit harder work with just hand tools. I'll post a picture when it's sited in the wood.